(Short version: The trio met when the Woodcocks learned of trumped-up rioting charges levied against Hunter following a 2016 arrest; they pressured the prosecuting attorney's office until said charges were dropped; all three became fast friends; now, they've decided to open a vegan restaurant together.)

“As our friendship grew, we really wanted to use whatever skills or opportunities we might have access to to really help Louis rebuild his life,” Sarah explained then. “Not only did the charges get dropped, but could this be a catalyst for something really great in Louis’s life? Could we make this difficult situation into something that really turns the tide and makes a difference?”

Again. Heart. Warming.

The Trio trio, all smiles.Trio Plant-Based

We mentioned then that a Kickstarter campaign was coming in the near-ish future, and it appears that Kickstarter is up and running. With six days to go, their brick-and-mortar restaurant, which they've decided to call Trio Plant-Based, is about $10k shy of reaching a $50,000 goal.

"One thing I've learned is that while being vegan is integral to social change, it's only part of the solution," Sarah writes on the campaign's landing page. Social justice, conscious consumption—these things are all connected. It was one year after going vegan that she got involved with Black Lives Matter, which is how she and her husband eventually became acquainted with Hunter. And that's tied into the Trio mission, too—when it opens, it'll be Minneapolis' first primarily minority-owned vegan restaurant.

The crowdfunding effort follows three "wildly successful" pop-up dinners, where a sold-out crowd chowed down on the meat-free lasagna pictured above, plus "chicken" wings, salad made with the Trio trio's homemade, dairy-free ranch, and this mouthwatering burger and fries:

LOOK AT IT.Trio Plant-Based

Sweets-wise, they served up root beer floats and vanilla cake drizzled with strawberry sauce.

"We've put our hearts and souls into our food, along with our love for justice and our love for the community ... back our Kickstarter, and invest in opening a plant-based restaurant where everyone—regardless of race, color, sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability, or income—will have a seat at the table," that crowdfunding description concludes.

Hey, that sounds pretty good to us. Sound good to you, too? You can help bring Trio to life here. And there's another pop-up planned for this Saturday at Breaking Bread, so if you want to try out their BBQ ribs and mac and "cheeze," tickets and more info for that can be found here.